Troutnut Forum > Fly Fishing Discussion > Collecting specimens/equipment........
| Quillgordon | May 27th, 2007, 7:13 am | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | Can someone give me a link where I can buy collecting containers for keeping insects; namely nymphs. I presently have small round containers that can be stacked vertically( threaded), but they are too inconvenient to work with. I am also looking for a medium priced microscope. I have done a search for websites, but haven't found any that I like . John.... | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
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| Konchu | May 27th, 2007, 10:46 am | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | Do you want to keep them alive or do you plan to make a collection? Bioquip.com has all kinds of insect collecting supplies. | |
| Quillgordon | May 27th, 2007, 2:14 pm | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | I want to keep a collection. I'm using a solution of 80/20 alcohol/water. If I get a microscope would you recommend a stero-microscope? If so, what power lenses would be sufficient for general viewing/identification ? Would this be a good model? http://www.microscopeworld.com/MSWorld/detail.aspx?ID=11818 John | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| Konchu | May 27th, 2007, 4:11 pm | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | screwtop vials are convenient for a collection the scope you listed probably would suit your needs. i'll check to see what powers mine has when I get home. | |
| Quillgordon | May 27th, 2007, 4:46 pm | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | Konchu, I did find this site for glass vials........ If I use these vials, how do I store them? Can I buy a storing bin to hold these containers safely? http://sciencekit.com/vials-screw-cap-flint-glass/p/IG0025961/ John | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| Konchu | May 27th, 2007, 5:19 pm | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | a box with cardboard dividers is easy to make and works well | |
| Quillgordon | May 27th, 2007, 5:48 pm | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | OK...... I found a nice vial container (holds 64) for $5.35. Unfortunately they don't sell the glass vials that fit them??? I hate to order from 3 different places! * Let me know what power would be Ok for the microscope. Thank you. John | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| Taxon | May 27th, 2007, 11:08 pm | |
| Mercer Island, WA Posts: 546 | John- I've been searching for a reasonably priced binocular microscope, and have pretty much concluded tha AmScope offers the best quality/price ratio in that market segment. For example, if you are targeting a 2-magnifications model (10x & 30x), I suggest you take a look at this one: http://store.amscope.com/em-2b13.html. It is 18 pounds as compared to the 5.5 pounds for the microscope you are considering. | |
| Roger Rohrbeck www.FlyfishingEntomology.com | ||
| DMM | May 28th, 2007, 1:28 am | |
| Posts: 141 | Ethanol is often preferred in preservation over isopropanol. Common dilutions are 70% ethanol, or 50% isopropanol. Also, for some insects, like caddisflies (soft-bodied) it is often nice to fix them in formalin first, so they hold up better. For labels (in the vial), use pencil or a laser printer (no ink) and a cotton paper or write-in-the-rain paper for best durability. Most of my collection is in 70% ETOH. One other thing--it is a good idea to put just a bit of glycerin or glycerol in the alcohol in case the vial loosens (and they do) and the alcohol evaporates. This at least keeps the insect from dessicating. Ideal storage conditions for your collection are in ethanol, in a freezer, in the dark. I have too big a collection for it to go in my little freezer (not much else would fit), but I do keep the vials in opaque cardboard boxes. As an aside, for those who don't know... ETOH=ethanol=ethyl alcohol ISOH=isopropanol=isopropyl alcohol Blame the organic chemists... | |
| David | ||
| Quillgordon | May 28th, 2007, 7:14 am | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | Taxon.... Very nice website/ great prices... Thank you! DMM...... Can I buy Ethanol( ethyl alcohol) at the pharmacy ? Thank you ! | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| Konchu | May 28th, 2007, 10:00 am | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | I just checked the dissecting scope that I use. I've been using it or a model just like it, for about ten years now and it suits my needs quite well. The total (ocular x objective) magnifications are 10x, 30x, 60x. I usually use the 10x for sorting and do the bulk of my examinations at 30x. Occasionally, I use the 60x, but usually I rely on the 30x. Of course a compound light microscope is needed occationally to check out mouthpart characteristics and other fine details on troublesome taxa. | |
| Quillgordon | May 28th, 2007, 11:12 am | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | Konchu.... Very good! So 10X and 30X are the norm, but 60X may be needed at times. I'll digest the info I received. I have to decide whether anything above 30X is worth the extra money! I borrowed a stero-microscope one summer when I was at the Univ. of Conn. It was a great experience just looking at common things. Thank you, John | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| DMM | May 28th, 2007, 11:42 am | |
| Posts: 141 | You can often buy ETOH at the pharmacy. It is also sometimes sold in bulk at hardware stores. In terms of the scope, sometimes you can buy a doubler lens. They screw onto the bottom of the scope. This would make the 10x go to 20x, etc. | |
| David | ||
| Quillgordon | May 28th, 2007, 12:00 pm | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | DMM, OK......... I will checkout the pharmacy and ACE hardware. That shouldn't cost much, but the camera and scope will put a dent in my wallet........... oh well! Thanks again! John | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| Konchu | May 28th, 2007, 9:52 pm | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | i have never noticed ethanol at the hardware store. of course, i never thought to look. please let me know how much it runs and if you find any. thanks in advance. | |
| Martinlf | May 29th, 2007, 10:19 am | |
| Palmyra PA Posts: 1049 | Konchu, Quillgordon, I found 70% Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol (ethanol) at Rite Aid (a PA drugstore chain) recently. It was very inexpensive. | |
| "Their friendship was in the nature of a religious confraternity, bound not by the fish but by fishing, by the stony peaks, the shadowy hollers, the deep pools and the shallow white water, and the urge of the discipline." --Fred Chappell | ||
| Konchu | May 29th, 2007, 1:14 pm | |
| Indiana Posts: 218 | Ethanol can be found also at your local package liquor store, but much more expensive than elsewhere. :} | |
| Martinlf | May 29th, 2007, 2:18 pm | |
| Palmyra PA Posts: 1049 | Ahhh yes, and you can drink that stuff when the classification quandries have you on your last nerve, unlike the drugstore ethanol, which has been treated to produce nasty side effects when imbibed. :( | |
| "Their friendship was in the nature of a religious confraternity, bound not by the fish but by fishing, by the stony peaks, the shadowy hollers, the deep pools and the shallow white water, and the urge of the discipline." --Fred Chappell | ||
| Quillgordon | May 29th, 2007, 3:20 pm | |
| Schuylkill County, PA. Posts: 102 | Ok I'm confused now. Ethyl alcohol is used both in beverages and as industrial solvents! I went to my ACE hardware store they have 'MEK' , which has a HAZARD warning label on it. It is used as an industrial solvent. Is the Rite Aid brand different ? I thought 'rubbing alcohol' was isoprophol alcohol. That is what I have now! I'm just looking for a safe solution that has some lasting preservative factor. John... | |
| Flyfishing is a state of mind! .............. Q.g. C/R........barbless | ||
| DMM | May 29th, 2007, 8:59 pm | |
| Posts: 141 | Here is clarification: Both isopropanol and ethanol are used as rubbing alcohol. Isopropanol is more common though. Ethanol is drinking alcohol. It happens to be a very good solvent, and if enough is consumed, quite lethal (as you know). However, when you buy ethanol as rubbing alcohol or at ACE, it is denatured. In other words, nasty chemicals are added to the ethanol so that you cannot drink it. This is done because drinking ETOH has many associated taxes. If you denature your ETOH before selling it, you don't have to pass the additional taxes onto the consumer. Schools can still get pure ethanol tax-free with a permit. All of the ethanol in my collection is denatured. Of course, if you want, you can always distill your own... | |
| David | ||
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